April 10, 2023

UKRAINE | Today is day 410 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Amidst international calls for peace over the Easter period, officials say at least seven civilians were killed in multiple Ukrainian cities in weekend shelling by Russian forces. [more]
• Mykola Kuleba, executive director of the Save Ukraine organization and a Ukrainian presidential commissioner for children's rights, said Saturday that 31 Ukrainian children illegally taken to Russia during the war have been returned to Kyiv. [more]

ABORTION DRUG RULINGS | Two federal judges issued rulings on Friday concerning the drug mifepristone, which is used in combination with other drugs to induce abortions and which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration twenty-three years ago. In one ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk put on hold the FDA’s approval of the drug and, in the other, U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice directed federal officials to not hinder access to the drug. Reports say the competing rulings are likely to be appealed and eventually end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. [more]

PENTAGON DOCUMENTS | The U.S. Justice Department has launched an investigation into the possible leak of classified Department of Defense documents released on social media over the weekend that appear to detail U.S. and NATO military aid to Ukraine, as well as estimates of the battlefield status of some Russian and Ukrainian forces. Reports say both the authenticity of the documents and how they might have been leaked are under investigation. [more]

TENNESSEE | Following last week’s expulsion of two Black lawmakers from Tennessee’s House of Representatives for taking part in a gun violence protest on the House floor, the Nashville city council is scheduled to vote today on the appointment of a replacement House member. Reports say Justin Jones, one of the ousted former members, is among those being considered for the appointment. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The Labor Department reported Friday that employers in the U.S. added 236,000 jobs in March — down from the 326,000 added in February — and that the unemployment rate stood at 3.5% for the month. [more]

LOS ANGELES | In a follow-up to last month’s three-day strike, workers for the Los Angeles Unified School District have approved a labor agreement that includes a 30% pay increase for low-wage workers, increased family healthcare benefits, and a $1,000 bonus for those who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. [more]

NEW JERSEY | Some 9,000 professors, part-time lecturers, and graduate student workers at Rutgers University went on strike this morning over stalled contract talks, halting classes for more than 67,000 students at the school’s campuses in New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden. [more]

ISRAEL, LEBANON, AND SYRIA | Reports say Israeli forces targeted sites in both Lebanon and Syria over the weekend in response to rocket attacks launched from both countries that have been attributed to Palestinian militant groups. [more]

CHINA AND TAIWAN | In the wake of a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week in the U.S., the Chinese military has conducted three days of naval and air military exercises, saying the drills were meant to simulate a "sealing-off" of Taiwan. [more]

PAKISTAN | Police in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province say at least two soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb Saturday in an attack for which the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility. [more]

GEORGIA | Reports say thousands of people took part in a rally in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi yesterday, protesting the continued jailing of former President Mikheil Saakashvili and accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party of both being under too much Russian influence and harming the country’s bid to join the European Union. [more]

FRANCE | Authorities in the southern French city of Marseille say four bodies have been recovered from the remains of a building in the city’s old quarter following an explosion early Sunday morning. Reports say search and rescue operations at the site are continuing and that a gas explosion is among the possible causes for the building's collapse being investigated. [more]

OIL SUPPLY | Reuters cites unnamed sources as saying that Saudi state oil giant Saudi Aramco intends to supply full contractual crude oil volumes to some North Asian customers despite its pledges to significantly reduce output as part of an OPEC+ production cut of 1.16 million barrels per day announced last week. [more]

COMPUTER SALES | In a new report, market research firm International Data Corporation says global shipments of personal computers fell 29% in the first quarter of 2023, due largely to weak demand and excess inventory. According to the report, Apple had the largest quarterly drop, with shipments down 40.5%. [more]

GOLF | Spain’s Jon Rahm won the 2023 Masters golf tournament yesterday at Augusta National Golf Club, finishing four strokes ahead of Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson. [full results] [more]

HOCKEY | With last night’s 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, the Boston Bruins won their 63rd game of the season, setting a new National Hockey League record for single-season victories. [more]

BASKETBALL | At the end of the NBA regular season, individual statistics leaders include: Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid as scoring champion with an average of 33.1 points per game, Philadelphia’s James Harden as assists leader with 10.7 per game, and Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis leading in rebounds with an average of 12.3 per game. [more]

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE | "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $146.4 million in receipts, followed by "John Wick, Chapter 4" and "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed, calling for devolved government in Northern Ireland. The accord was ratified by Ireland and Northern Ireland the following month. [more history]